Telephone attachment.



No. 664,94l. Patented mm, mm.

' a. w; GANDE. TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT.

(Application filed July 2, 1900.)

(No Model.) 7

' ITED STATES ATENT Fries.

GEORGE W. GAN OE, OF PHILIPSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, OF

TWO-THIRDS TO WILLIAM C. PRICKETT AND JOHN .S. FURST, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

. TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT;

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 664,941, dated January 1, .1 901. I Application filed July 2, 1900. Serial No. 22,340. :(No model.)

T or whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LGEORGE WESLEY GANQE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Philipsburg, in the county of Centre and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Telephone Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to telephone attachments, and pertains more particularly to Io means for supporting a receiver or earpiece in convenient relation to a transmitter.

manner, whereby the approach of the user of the instrument in operative proximity to the latter will necessitate a lateral swing of the attachment holding the receiver and thereby 2o automatically actuate a switch to close the circuit and throw in the receiver and transmitter and maintain the latter in such condition until use of the entire instrument is completed, when the attachment and receiver will be automatically returned to normal position and the open the circuit.

The invention primarily consists in the utilization of an outwardly-projecting arm pivotally or movably attached to asupport atits inner end and connected to a switch for controlling the telephone circuit, automatic means for returning thearm to its normal position, and means for holding a receiver or earpiece in the outer end of said arm in such position that when used it will occupy a convenient position relatively to the ear of the operator, the transmitter being inaccessible until the arm and receiver are moved from of the same, but with normal place in front the out requiring the receiver to be held in hand, as in ordinary methods.

The invention further consists in the construction and arrangement of the several 5 parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed. v

In the drawings, Figure'l is a' perspective View of a complete telephone instrument embodying the featuresof the invention. Fig. 2 isia detail perspective View of the attachswitch reversely operated to.

ment, showinga portion separated therefrom. Fig. 3 is a detail-sectional elevation of another portion of the attachment. Fig. 4 is adetail perspective view of the cap-block for the device shown by Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a modified construction for returning the arm to its normal position.

Similar numerals of. reference are employed v to indicate corresponding parts in the several views. H

The numeral 1 designates a subscribers telephone complement and includes a backboard or support 2 and a transmitter 3, provided with aswitch member 4, which in the present instance is shown in the form of the usual spring-actuated fork 5, extending from one side of the transmitter-box. The successful operation of the improved attachment is not dependent on the use of an exact form of switch member, as it can be applied to telephone outfits having various. forms of said member applicable for the purpose of the present construction.

Theimproved attachment comprises an arm 6, which is shown as formed with an intermediate frictional joint 7 to permit the outer extremity to be raised or lowered to accommodate the heights of different users or operators.' The rear end of the arm is pivotally held between ears 8, extending outwardly from the vertical or depending member of an angle-bracket 9, the upper horizontal shorter member of the latter being formed with a slot 10 for adjustable arrangement in rear of the upper edge of one side of the support or backboard 2, the fastening device 11 for securing. the one upper corner portion of the said support or backboard being also passed through the slot 10 and forming the sole means in addition to the support or backboard pressure on the horizontal member of the bracket for holding the latter in desired position. At any time desired and to accommodate difierout applications the'bracket may be adjusted to move the vertically; depending member thereof outwardly from or inwardly toward the'adjacent side edge of the support or backboard. 'Below the ears 8 is a keeper 12, which is rigidly attached to the vertically-depending member of' lthe bracket and has its outer extremity inturned, as at 13, and formed with a reduced inwardly-directed terminal l4 to provide a seat 15, over which is fitted one terminal of a coiled spring 16, having its opposite terminal also applied over a projection or pin 17 on the adjacent edge of the arm, near the pivotal point of the latter. The said spring 16 throws the arm inwardly toward the transmitter-box a certain prearranged distance, and the outward movement of the said arm is exerted against the resistance of the said spring. The outer end of the arm is provided with an upstanding angular support 18, having a reduced screw-threaded trminalll) to receive a nut 20 and ears 21 of acylindrical clamp against which the said nut has hearing. The clamp 22 is fitted over the body of a receiver 23, and the latter is held by the said clamp in a plane'at right angles to the arm in advance of the front of the transmitter, so that before access can be had to the receiver by a user or operator it will be necessary to push the receiver and arm ontwardly in a lateral direction.

In the fork 5 of the switch member 4: a weight 24 is held, and to sustain the said weight in connection with the fork it is provided 'with a cap-block or head 25, formed with a circumferential groove 26, engaged by the fork and held in secured position on the upper end of the weight by a bolt 27, extending vertically therethrough and into the body of the said weight. The lower end or extremity of the bolt onlyis screw-threaded, so that the portion thereof that passes through the head or cap-block is smooth. and will thereby be prevented from working loose. The upper end of the bolt is formed with an eye 28, and securedthereto is the lower extremity of a cord or other flexible connection 29, secured in one of a series of openings 30 in the'arm above at its opposite end. The weight 24 acts to hold the switch member 4: in lowered position to normally open the telephone-circuit, and as an operator or user approaches the transmitter he places his ear against the orifice carrying the latter outwardly from the trans mitter to obtain a proper position in front of the latter. This movement of the arm draws on the connection 29 by reason of the increase of dist-ancein excess of the normal relation of the weight and arm, and consequently the weight is elevated, and with it the switch member, the upward movement of the latter being facilitated when the overpowering in fluence of the weight is withdrawn therefroin by the spring in connection therewith. This upward movement of the Weight and fork closes the telephone-circuit and both the receiver and transmitter are thrown into the line. Theinstrumentsremain in this condition as long as the user or operator has the receiver and arm pressed out .by contact with the head; but as soon as the receiver is released the spring 16 exerts its force against the arm and returns it and the receiver to "and descriptively; disclosed; but many modiof the receiver and pushes the arm,

normal position, as shown by Fig. 1. The tendency of the arm and receiver to return to normal position is also encouraged by the weight, in connection with the for]: 5 and attached to said arm, also operating, when free to do so, to pull back to place, it being understood that the Weight never becomes disengaged from the fork. By changing the connection 29 from one to another of the openings 30 the pulling tension on the weight may be varied, and the throw of the arm will also be correspondingly changed,and switch members having a greater or less degree of movement can be readily accommodated.

Another mode of causing the arm to return to normal position or holding. it' in prearranged adjustment is shown by Fig. 5, and in this modification the pivot-bolt 31 is projected above the uppermost ear 8 and surrounded by a coiled spring 32, having one e7 tremity bearing against the one edge of the verticalbr-depending member of the bracket and the other extremity bent at an angle and bearing against the one edge of the said arm, It will be understood that the extremity 33 bears against the outer edge of the arm, so as to throw the latter inwardly, and in some instances this construction may be preferred.

The improved attachment is easily and quickly applied, strong and durable, and, being composed of a comparatively few parts, is inexpensive in manufacture and use. The preferred construction has been illustrated fications can be adopted, among which may be mentioned the obvious expedient of dispensing with all springs to return the arm to normal position and arranging the pivot pin or bolt thereof at an angle of inclination in such direction that the arm will always have a tendency to ride inwardly when free to so operate. portions, and'minor details may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention.

I desire it understood that the term .fiexible used in this specification is employed in its general or generic sense and not specifically. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a telephone attachment, the combina tion with a transmitter having a support and a switch member coacting therewith to control the circuit, of a bracket having a portion adjustably mounted behind the transmittersupport and held by a part of the fastenings of the latter, an arm pivotally mounted toswing horizontally and located adjacent the transmitter, the free end of the said arm having a transmitter held therein and normally obstructing free access to the transmitter, a weight device in engagement with the switch member and normally holding the latter open,

Also changes in the form, size, pro

and a fI'QOlY-ilGXlblO connection secured to said weight device and adjnstably attached to the arm.

2. In a teleph oneattachmen-t, the com binartion with a transmitter having a switch, of an arm pivotally mounted adjacent'to the trainee mitter and having a receiver held in .its free end'in such position as to obstruct freeaceess" to the; transmitter, a weight in engagement;

,with the switch and normally holding the lat-. ter open, and a flexible device secured'to the weight and adjustably attached to the arm wherebya movement of the arm will free'the switch of the overpowering force of the Weight and permit said switch to close the circuit when the operator gains access to the trans ,mitter.

- 3. .In a telephone attachment, the combination with a transmitter having a switch co-' adjacent to the transmitter and having a re-. ceiver held by its free end=and obstructing acting therewith, of an arm movably mounted tion with a transmitter having a switch co,

acting therewith, of an arm movably mounted adjacent to the transmitter and havinga re-- ceiver in its free end, a bracket to which said arm is attached. provided with 'a slotted member engaged by one of the fastenings of the support of the transmitter,'means for maintainiug the arm in normal position, and means connected to the arm for controlling the switch. 1

5. In a telephone attachment, the combination with the transmitter audits switch, of a laterally-movable arm located at the side .of

the transmitter inproximity to the-switch,

and adirect flexible connection between the arm and the switchwhereby an outward movement ofthe arm exerts and canses a perpendieular movement of the switch, substan tially as described.

' 6. In a telephone'attachment, thecombi'nation with the transmitter and its switch, of a receiver-supporting. arm pivotally secured and located at the side of the transmitter and a direct connection between the arm and the arm, substantially as described.

.:5 switch, arranged tov positively actuate the switch upon an outward lateral movement of ,7 Ina telephone attachment, the combinai g,

'tion with the transmitter, 61: a switch-arm and means for normally holding the arm down, of a laterally-movable receiver-supporting arm pivotally mounted adjacent to the rear'of the transmitter at the side, and a direct connection from the arm to the switch-arm so arranged that the outward movement of the supporting-arm will raise the switch -arm-.,--.snb-' stantially as described.

- 8. In atelephone attachmenhthecombina 'tion with the transmitter audits switch, of a receiver-carrying arm pivoted to move laterally and located beyond the horizontal plane of the switch, and a flexible connection between-the armand switch in'advance of p the I pivot of. the arm, substantially as described, In testimony that I- claim the foregoing as .my own I have hereto aflixed my signaturein the presence of two witnesses. GEORGE w. GANOE.

Witnesses:

E. E; DOYLE, PHILIP F. LARNER. 

